Automatic mouse and rat trap



l. LYCHYJ March l31,` 1925- AUTOMATIC MOUSE AND RAT TRMJ `Filed Aug, 23 5 SrxeenS-Sheet l March 1925- LYCHYJ AUTOMATIC MQ''SE AL" RAT TRAP- Filed Aug. 23, 192.9 I5 Sheets-Sheet :a

T @i 'hmm y, E wf 7W mi if. @QA f f Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STA-TES 1,532,057 PATENT OFFICE.

IWAN LYCHYJ, 0I WINDSOR. ONTARO. CANADA.

AUTOMATIC MOUSE AND RATY TRAP.

Application filed August 23, 1923. Serial No. 658,961.

i To all whow it may concern:

catching and disposing of a plurality ofrats or mice.

Another object of my invention is' the provision of a trap which is automatically closed by the animal lured into the trap.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a trap which is automatically set a ain by the animal caught therein.

Gt 1er objects of my invention and ad* vantages thereof` will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then specifically he pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a trap constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail view of oneof the shafts in longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear view thereof seen along line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end view of the lower part of a shaft seen along line 5 5 of Figure 3.

The rodent trap comprises a bottom plate 10, preferably in the form of a socalled spider to which the outer ends of strips 11 are secured in any suitable manner, t e inner ends of which are attached to the outer. wall of a tank 12 adapted to be filled with water or similar fluid. A cover 13 rovided with a handle 14 is secured to an spaced from 4the tank by means of a plurality of strips 15.

A plurality of shaftsy 16 of a form best illustrated in Figure 3` is secured on the s ider 10 by means of their lateral foot an es 17 and suitable fastening means 18. Eae i of these shafts entends above the upper,` edge of the tank 12.

lhe construction of all shafts is alike, and it will therefore he suilicient to describe one of them in order to make it understood.

. Each of the shafts 16 comprises a longer, vertical branch 18, and a smaller, horizontal branch 20. The rearI walls of shafts 16 are open and engage the outer Wall of the tank 12. A plurality of inclined slots 21 are provided in the rear edges of the side walls of each shaft, and areada ted to receive and r frml hold a `plurality o f ru'ngs 22 to form` a la der for facilitating the ascent of the. rodents within the shafts, as y'will hereinafter be more fully described.

The covers 23 for the upper ends o. shaft. l 16 have an upstanding inner .lip 24 which is passed through a slotted flap 25 of cover 13, and hooks and eyes 26. v.

In the horizontal branch of eaehshaft 16 a platform 27 carrying'a holder 28 for the bait 29 is hingedly secured at its rear end by means of a pin 30. A spring 31 secured at one end to the bottom of the shaft and engaging with its free end the lower face of platform 27 tends to normally keep its front end in elevated position.

Links 32 attached with one end to the front end of platform 27, have their other ends attached to one pair of arms of bell crank levers 33 fulcrumed as at 34 to the walls of shaft 16, while` the upper free ends of the other arms of said bell crank levers normally support a trap-door 35 to the upper end of which a cable 36 is secured, which is guided intermediate its ends through an eye :S7 at the front end of a bar3 8 secured to the outer wall of shaft 16. The

other end of cable 36 is secured to the outer end of a lever 39 extending with its angular end through an openin 40 in the front wall of the shaft 16. To the inner angular end of lever 39 is secured a platform 41 and a spring 42 secured'at one end to said platform and engaging with its other end' the inner front wall of shaft 16 has the tendency to press the latforminto the position illustrated in igure 3 in which it closes the shaft.

A platform 43 is pivotally secured inter mediate its ends as at 44 to the shaft 16 above the tank 12 kand its wei hted and corrugated rear arm 45 tends to old platform 43 normally elevated but allows a tiltin of the same under the weight of an anima Another platform 46 is pivotally secured at its inner end within shaft 16' between the bait platform 27 and platform 41, while a spring 47 is normally keeping the platfo1m 46 in its shaft closing position.

-rungs 22, and pass plate-4:6 which b vv animal.

tank 12- lproper tilting of platform 43.

The device operates as followszm lin the normal position of the bait plate 27 the trap door rests with its `lower edge on' top of the front arms of bell crank lever 32.

1When the animal lured b v the bait 2t) enters upon latforni 27, its own weight will depress said platform and move vthe bell crank lever so that its arm supporting the trapdoor will be moved and the trap door losin its support will fall and close the inout. of the shaft behind the animal. The rodent seeking-an avenue of escape will climb towards the top of shaft 1G on the the the oo action of spring 4T will close behind Further ascending on rangs the animal will pass platforui 41, which beliind the saine will take up its normal position b vs` vii-tue of spring' 4&2 closing the shaft 16. The operation of platform 41 b v the animal will tautcnrable 36 and raise the trap door permitting it to talle up its former position on top ofthe -frontvarms of hell crank laver 33, so that the trap is set again r v for a new cf teli y Iflie aniiiial having passed door 4lwill try to escape over platform 43, the corrugations of weight 45 facilitate its ascent, and upon reaching platform 43 the anim :l lwill be thrown into the water 'in its own'weiglit will produce the If it is desired to remove the animals caught 1n the tank 1.2, the hooks 2G are released from their engagement with lip 4and the means -18 fastening the flaps 17 of the shafts 16 to the spider l() are also released so that the cover 13 and the tank can be removed by means of handle 14 and ine dead animals are removed from the tank bv means of suitable tools.

Changes may he made in the general construction aiid arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as deiinedbxv the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A rodent trap` comprising a shaft having a horizontal and a vertical branch, a door for closing' the entrance to the horizontal i branch, a bait holdingplatform arranged in the horizontal branch and pivotallv snpported at the end remote from the entrance to such branch. a 'springA underlying that end of the platform adjacent thc horizoiital branch entrance to support the platform in operative position, an angle lever pirotallv mounted in the horizontal branch adjacent the door, one angle of said lever being` adapted to underlie and supporttho door in elevated position, and a connectionl between the other end of said angle lever and the free end of the plattorm, a trap door pivotally supported in and normally closingY the vertical branclrof the shaft, an arm carried b v said trap door and projectingl levond the vertical branch, a flexible connection tcrminall \v secured to said aii'n and to the entrance door, and an intermediate `guiding' support for said flexible connection, wherebvxv to cause the i fiera- Ative movement of the trap door to ex rt a `raising pull on the entrance door.

In testimony whereof I have 'affixed my signature.

rWAN Lif'oiira. 

